Reports coming from Japan of a resumed dolphin hunt in the town of Taiji may not signal as much cause for alarm as we had previously thought. Some dolphins and pilot whales were herded into the infamous cove—but most may be released by their captors.
UPDATE 9/10/09
The Japan Times is reporting that “40-50” of the approximately 100 bottlenose dolphins captured Wednesday will be sent to zoos and aquariums, with the remainder being allowed to return to open water. The 50 pilot whales aren’t so lucky—they will be slaughtered for food.
In it’s online edition, The Japan Times suggested that a “no-slaughter policy” had been adopted for dolphins in the wake of international criticism. However, it is unclear whether the policy will remain in effect through the rest of the dolphin-hunting season, which lasts until spring.
Nearly 1,500 dolphins and whales were killed in the infamous Taiji, Japan cove last year. Neither bottlenose dolphins nor pilot whales are endangered species, and the hunt violates no international laws.
9/9/09
One hundred or so bottlenose dolphins and a pod of pilot whales apparently have been driven into the Taiji, Japan, cove made infamous by the environmental movie called “The Cove.” Environmentalists opposed to the Japanese dolphin hunt at first were were extremely alarmed by the development, assuming it signaled a resumption of the annual dolphin slaughter that was thought to have been cancelled because of the massive negative publicity brought by the movie.
However, some Japanese media are apparently reporting that most of the dolphins apparently will be released after some of them have been selected to be sent to zoos and aquariums. No word at all yet about what will happen to the pilot whales . . .
All of this information has yet to be confirmed, and All About Wildlife.com will be following events in Taiji. You can view another source here.
